23. Thinking About Baron

That night, Victoria sat alone in her room. For several days, she could not sleep well. She always thought about that strange man named Baron.

She remembered their kiss that made her heart squeezed an invisible hand. She folded her lips while staring at the window. She hopes that Baron will come to her house again.

Baron came into her life like a dream. Although their meeting was very short, it made her feelings turned upside down as if she had been hit by a hurricane.

It has been a long time since she wrote a diary. She opened her diary and then stared at the picture of her father pasted there. Even though the plane crash had long since passed, Victoria will always miss her father. As long as the body of her father has not been found, she believes that her father is still alive.

"What are you doing, Honey?" asked her mother.

Victoria gasped. She immediately closed the diary and looked back. "Mom, how many times have I told you to knock on the door first?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to surprise you. Is that Daddy's picture?"

Victoria opened her diary again and removed the photo from there. "Yes, this is Dad."

She handed over the photo to her mother. There was a smile on her mother's lips. She hopes that her mother doesn't cry now because she doesn't want to cry her father now.

"He is the best husband and father of all time," said her mother.

Victoria nodded. "And you are the strongest mother in the world. I hope that you always find your happiness."

"I am the happiest woman in this world because I have you as my daughter, Vicky." Her mother kissed the top of her head.

"Me too," said Victoria, smiling sweetly at her mother.

"Now let's sleep. It is late at night. Don't you have to go to work tomorrow?"

"Yes, Mom."

Victoria put the photo back in her diary and then climbed onto the bed. Her mother sat next to her. Her mother rubbed her head gently.

"Do you want me to read bedtime stories?" asked her mother.

Victoria chuckled. "What fairy tale, Mom?"

"I want to tell you a story about a magical being in another world," said her mother with her sparkling eyes.

Victoria scrunched up her face. "Do you mean ghost or alien? I'm too old for a story like that, Mom. "

"No. Let me tell you. One day, other beings are living in another world. There is a world that very different from ours. There are lots of colorful flower fields. Each flower has a unique name and extraordinary uses."

Her mother nodded in a complete conviction at the sight of Victoria's grinning expression.

"Everyone who lives in that world can turn into an animal," continued her mother. "There are people who can turn into a lion, eagle, owl, hedgehog, deer, and so on."

"This is ridiculous."

"One day there were villains who wanted to take over the land. The leader of the villain sent his troops to attack until the land was destroyed. The villains were defeated, but unfortunately, many heroes died on the battlefield."

Victoria nodded. "OK. So, the land was destroyed. The villains were defeated, right? What a story."

"Yes. I thought you were too old for a story like that."

Victoria chuckled. "Come on, Mom. It is late. I want to sleep now."

"OK. Goodnight, Sweetheart."

"Goodnight, Mom."

Her mother kissed her forehead and then turned off the light. She tried to close her eyes, but what she saw now was only a shadow of Baron's face.

She remembers that kiss again. She feels an electric current running through her body. She is wondering where Baron actually is. He is so strong like a superhero.

She does not believe in superhero stories on television. But, after she meets Baron, she begins to believe that humans with an extraordinary gift do exist. Should she also believe in her mother's story?

It is impossible if there are humans who can change form into animals. It's all just a bedtime fairy tale.

Victoria yawned widely. Tomorrow she has to work so she must sleep right now.

***

The next day, Victoria came late to work. Mark, the supervisor in the café, glared at her.

"You're late," he said.

"Yeah, I'm so sorry."

Victoria walked quickly to the locker and changed into her uniform. The café looks busy in the morning as usual. There were lots of people having breakfast at the place.

People say that the coffee made by the baristas in this place is very delicious and fragrant. Victoria prides itself on Mariah's hard work in producing exquisite specialty coffee.

"Did you date Raymond?" asked Courtney as they were cleaning the dirty table.

"No. I didn't have time to see him again. Besides, I don't know where his house is," said Victoria.

"Haven't you already given your phone number to him? You guys often send text messages to each other, right?"

"Nope. I'm not giving him my phone number." Victoria shook her head. She had finished wiping the table.

"Hey, wait, Vicky." Courtney followed her into the kitchen.

"What's the matter, Courtney?"

"At least, you guys have kissed, right?"

Victoria narrowed her eyes. "That will never happen."

"Oh, come on. You make me disappointed." Courtney frowned.

"Just enjoy your disappointment, Darling. I'm not going to date any man," said Victoria, placing a plate of pasta on the tray.

"Really? Do you like dating girls?"

"No!" argued Victoria. "I'm not that type. For me, I just want to do my job well and have positive activities."

"Dating is positive. Kissing a handsome guy is even more positive." Courtney nodded slowly.

Victoria smiled. "Well, you're right. I hope I can also kiss a handsome guy again."

She walked quickly to table number five with an order from the kitchen, leaving the gawking Courtney staring at her. She put the pasta on table number five and then left to serve the other guests.

She deliberately made a big question mark in front of Courtney's face. Mariah watched her from behind the counter. She smiled widely. After taking the order, Victoria returned to the kitchen to clip the order paper and ring the bell.

Courtney walks toward her. "You make me curious, Vicky. Come on tell me. Which guy has kissed you?"

Victoria smiled. "He's not from here."

"So that guy isn't Raymond? Is he handsome? Or sexy? Tell me." Courtney urged Victoria.

"To be sure, he isn't Raymond. He is very handsome and cool, of course. We only met once and I can't stop thinking about that guy until now." Victoria admitted it without hesitation.

Courtney smiled as she narrowed her eyes. She leaned her butt against the wall, folding her arms across her chest. "You are naughty. I thought you were going to succeed in teasing Raymond. As it turns out, you dated another man. Tell me, how can you kiss that guy? Wait, does he have a name?"

"His name is Baron. It happened so fast. I was ..."

"Order table number eleven!" exclaimed Sean, pressing the bell twice. "Come on, Ladies. It's time to work! Stop gossiping! Chop chop!"

"You have to tell me everything. Everything!" added Courtney.

"Fine. I'll tell you when we get home from work." Victoria promised Courtney.

Victoria took the order and delivered it to table eleven. Suddenly she saw someone who didn't expect the presence.

The guy looks on. Victoria sighed and walked over to the guy.

"Hi, Ray. Do you want to order something? "

"Hi, Victoria. I miss you."